$2M in building projects green-lit

Wednesday

Jan 15, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By Corina CurryRockford Register Star

ROCKFORD - The Rockford School District plans to spend $1.1 million to replace windows at Auburn High School, $880,000 on a new student health center at Auburn, and $115,000 to hire an in-house construction manager.

In its first meeting in more than a month, the Rockford School Board approved the construction-related expenses and entertained a vote on the city's proposed Auburn Street tax increment financing district.

After a presentation from Mayor Larry Morrissey and other city officials, the board tabled the vote, saying it wanted more information, including a recommendation from Superintendent Ehren Jarrett.

With the creation of each TIF district, the School District stands to lose a portion of future property tax revenues generated within the TIF. The district needs that money, some board members argued, to run schools.

The district's vote would not be binding. The City Council creates TIF districts. The schools' chief financial officer, Cedric Lewis, opposed the new TIF at the city's Joint Review Board meeting but was outvoted.